


Waltzing

by writingwoman



Category: Sherlock BBC, johnlock - Fandom
Genre: First Dance, John and Sherlock - Freeform, Slow Dancing, eyes locking, sherlock teaches john how to dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 18:21:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20746664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwoman/pseuds/writingwoman
Summary: Sherlock teaches John how to dance. Behind closed curtains in 221B. Mrs. Hudson came in one time, wonder how those rumors started.





	Waltzing

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you’ll like it. Wrote it before bed ahaha, I’ve always fantasized of their first dance together so this is me giving voice to my thoughts!! 
> 
> You can find me at writing-woman on tumblr, by the way! Hope you enjoy this! xx

Sherlock had finished composing the waltz for the Watsons in three days. 

“It’s beautiful, thank you.” John smiled, patting Sherlock on the back as he laid down his violin. 

“It’s nothing, I’m glad you like it.” Sherlock smiled back, politely. He looked at John for a few seconds then squinted. “Though you do know how to dance to it, yes?” 

John shrugged. “I mean I’m no dancer, but how hard can it be?” Judging by the taller’s expression, harder than John thought. “Really?” He asked, incredulous. 

“Show me.” Sherlock demanded, crossing his arms and sitting on the living room’s table as his ankles crossed in front of him. 

“What?” 

“Show me. How do you dance the waltz?” 

“No music?” John asked, frozen in his spot. 

“Mh, no need for that. I want to know where you’re at.” Sherlock gesticulated slightly, then waited patiently for John to begin. 

“Right.” John nodded, moving a bit towards the centre of the room and looking straight ahead once he got there. “How do I—“

“Just pretend you have Mary in front of you and go.” Sherlock sighed, staring at John. 

“Fair enough.” John clenched and unclenched his jaw for a few seconds then nodded one more time. “I’m gonna—“ he began, moving one foot forward. 

“Arms, John. Aren’t you going to hold her?” 

“Yes. That I should do, yes.” He moved his arms in front of him and took a deep breath. He had no idea what he was doing, he watched people do it in movies but he had never actually danced. “So now I just—“ 

“Oh for God’s sake.” Sherlock jumped up and positioned himself far too close to John. “Put your right hand a bit above my waist.” He commanded. 

“What? Why? What are you doing?” John panicked. Sherlock was too close. 

“Just do as I say.” 

John looked at him in the eyes for a split second and did as he was told, landing his hand on Sherlock’s back. 

Sherlock placed one of his on John’s shoulder and with the other he grabbed John’s free one. “You have to lead, can you lead?” He asked his blogger, blinking a few times. 

John wasn’t really there, too focused on the proximity of his friend, so he just raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Oh, so you’re the woman?” 

“The wom—You mean the follow?“ Sherlock questioned, studying John’s expression. “Let’s switch. We’ll do this step by step. I’ll be the leader first, walk you through it, then you’ll lead me.” 

Sherlock’s hand was big on John’s back, holding him more firmly than John was doing a bit earlier.  _So unusual._ John thought, putting his hand on Sherlock’s shoulder and joining their free ones together. 

“I begin with the left foot, you begin with your right. Once I step forward, you step back. Bend your right leg just a little bit, the steps have to be airy so land on the ball of your foot first and keep your upper body straight but relaxed.” Sherlock instructed, not paying attention to anything but John. 

“We should close the curtains, someone could see.” John gulped, muttering the words out. 

Sherlock let go of John and closed them all, knowing that protesting wouldn’t have gotten him anywhere. It did hurt that John cared about people’s speculations so much, but with time he’d got used to it. 

“Ready?” Sherlock asked, coming back to the previous position. John nodded so he started moving. “Land on the ball of your foot, John..yes, like that. Now move back your right foot, leave about half a meter in between your feet...a little more...yes. Join them together...be more delicate...better. Now step your left foot forward, bend your right knee slightly as you do so...great..always land on the ball of your foot, do not forget that...now join the other foot half a meter away...then together...good!” 

“Thought this was going to be harder.” John exclaimed, looking at their feet. 

“Yes, you should be looking at me, though.” Sherlock stopped their movements, making John turn his head up at him. “In waltzes you don’t look the other person in the eyes but it is your wedding so I suppose you’ll want to look at Mary while dancing, to make it more..  _romantic_ ?” Sherlock stiffened at the word. 

“Yes.” John cleared his throat, realizing he was about to share a romantic moment with Sherlock. But Sherlock didn’t have those sorts of feelings so why worry, right? It was John who was in trouble. Why did he agree to this? He wasn’t even sure he wanted to get married now that Sherlock was back, so how was John supposed to look at him in the eyes? What if Sherlock  _saw_ him? 

“Did you hear me? Now we’ll add the tempo. Specifically the three-count tempo.” 

“Three-count—?” 

“I’ll count. One, I step forward and you step back. Two, I step to the side with my left and you step to the side with your right. Three, as I bring my feet together, you bring yours. Got it?” Sherlock asked, nodding at John who mimicked him. 

“One..” Sherlock started counting and John couldn’t help but look at the ground. “Two...look at me,” Sherlock continued but John just couldn’t. “Three.. John, why aren’t you looking at me?” 

“I feel like I don’t know the steps very well, keeps me focused if I look down.” He lied, shrugging. 

“I understand you’ll get distracted by Mary’s eyes and the whole love thing, but what’s that got to do with me? Just look at me and focus on my counting.” Sherlock instructed once again. “And move your knees slightly bent so you rise on your toes as you lift your foot and land softly on its ball.” 

“I can’t look at you.” John shook his head and Sherlock sighed, throwing his hands in the air. 

“Why, now?”

“Because it’s weird! We’re dancing, Sherlock! It feels weird.” John tried to explain. “I haven’t seen you for two years and now you’re back and we’re dancing. It’s not.. I don’t.. it just doesn’t feel...” 

“What?” Sherlock snapped.

“Real, Sherlock. It doesn’t feel real. Having you here, in this house..with me, it just doesn’t.” John grew quieter as he spoke, afraid someone could hear him.

“Don’t be absurd.” Sherlock scoffed, walking closer to John once more. 

“No.” John stepped back. “It’s not absurd. Hell, a week ago I couldn’t even walk in here, thought you were gone dead and now we’re both here.. dancing for my wedding. You. Teaching me how to dance. Where did you learn how to do that by the way?!” 

“I just.. like it.” Sherlock mumbled. 

“I can’t.. look at you.” John breathed, shaking his head. 

“Okay.” The taller gave up, then slowly moved closer to John. 

***

A few days later John was ready to get accompanied with music. Sherlock’s music. At first Sherlock played the tune with his violin, then recorded it all and danced with John.

“I’ll dip you, now.” Sherlock warned, slowly doing so.

John squeezed Sherlock’s hand for balance and clenched his whole body trying not to fall back.

”Relax.” 

Sherlock’s voice rumbled in John’s ear, he could feel his breath on his face. _So close._

“Ready to lead?” Sherlock asked, breaking the silence and John chuckled to ease the tension.

“I guess, we’ll see.” 

The music began and John started leading. Being the smaller one, it was a bit challenging to hold Sherlock the proper way, he had to grasp at his shirt with his fingers for more balance. Sherlock didn’t seem to mind at all. 

“You’re doing good, keep going.” Sherlock praised, smiling softly even though John’s eyes were still on the ground.

“Do I have to dip you, too?” John asked, panicked.

“Do you wish to dip Mary?” 

“Um, I think I should.” John shrugged.

”Yes, but do you _want_ to?” Sherlock stopped his movements. John looked at him then.

”I have to.” John felt like they weren’t talking about dancing anymore. “It’s something I have to do. I want to do.” He looked at Sherlock in the eyes, sighing softly as he did so. “For me. Her, even.” 

Sherlock understood what John meant, he had been away two years after all. John had to move on. He understood it. 

“Right.” Sherlock cleared his throat. “So you can try and dip me. I’ll teach you as you go.” 

John nodded and they started dancing again, in silence. As the music came to an end Sherlock spoke. “Move your hand a bit lower than my shoulder.” John did so. “Apply a bit of pressure, this lets Mary know what you want to do..” John nodded, pressing his palm to Sherlock’s back, feeling the muscles tensing up underneath his hand. “Good. Now, relax. Back straight, feet parted to support the both of usand guide me downwards.” John followed Sherlock’s words and instinctively brought his face down with the detective. 

“Like this?” John asked, gazing at Sherlock.

Sherlock was tall, but didn’t weigh a lot so it had been really easy for John to dip him without any problems.

“Yes. Good.” Sherlock breathed, supporting himself. Sherlock noticed John’s neck pulsing at what he deduced was about 99bpm. His pupils had widened about four percent more since the dip and his ears were of a bright pink. _He likes you. _He shook his head slightly, recalling the time he had thought John was asking him out but actually wasn’t._ Wrong. _He replied to his inner voice and brought himself up.

John was grateful for his detective’s movements, being that close to Sherlock wasn’t doing him any good. He tried steadying his heartbeat and scratched the back of his head nervously. “Thanks, uh—wasn’t complicated.” He smiled. 

***

John still wasn’t able to look at Sherlock in the eyes while dancing. Only if Sherlock spoke to him or dipped him, otherwise he feared what silence and eyes locking could do. 

They had decided to switch here and then, Sherlock taught John a few other tricks so he led more often than not. John was fine with it, somehow he liked being led by Sherlock. 

To think about it, Sherlock led John everyday.

“Ready to dip?” Sherlock asked him and as John nodded he dipped him. “You’re more relaxed.” 

“I have no reasons to be nervous.” John admitted, looking at Sherlock. 

Sherlock’s gaze softened, moving from John’s eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes in such a quick motion that he was sure John hadn’t noticed. 

But John had and that sent his heart rate up to the stars. _Sherlock feels attraction? Wait does this mean he’s attracted to me? No he isn’t, I must be imagining things. He doesn’t like people that way. _Still, subconsciously,he ran his tongue over his lower lip and while doing so, without thinking, John looked at Sherlock’s mouth as well. 

Sherlock was sure he was dreaming. So he had deduced right the other day. Sherlock wondered if.. he leaned closer just an inch, almost nose touching John’s cheek. 

John stopped breathing and although the position he was in wasn’t the most comfortable, he felt like if time had stopped like that he would have cheered. He gulped, feeling his eyelids heavy. 

“This is where you kiss her.” Sherlock muttered, his voice lower than John had ever heard. He didn’t even care about Mary in that moment and didn’t understand Sherlock’s statement apart from the word ‘kiss’. 

John tilted his head to the right just slightly, Sherlock copying him. 

“Oh, dear! Look at you!” Mrs. Hudson’s voice made John jump and step away from Sherlock in less than a second. “This is lovely, you two.” She brought a hand over her heart and pretended to wipe a tear away from her face.

“It’s not what it looks like.” John was quick to deny any assumptions, beginning to breathe again.

“It’s exactly what it looks like.” Sherlock intervened, furrowing his eyebrows at John. “I’m teaching him how to dance the waltz for his wedding.” He explained to the lady. 

“Ah! Well I’m glad you’re not dancing alone, Sherlock. It made me sad, a bit. You know, John, sometimes I would hear the music start playing in the middle of the night and I—“ 

“Right, thank you for your visit Mrs. Hudson-“ Sherlock patted her gently out of the apartment. “Goodbye.” He faked a smile and closed the door. 

“Well that was nice.” John remarked, sarcastic.

“Mh. I think that’s enough for today, we’ll do the last bit tomorrow.” Sherlock ignored his statement, grabbed his coat and left the flat.

***

A day later, after a minute or so into the song, John got to the conclusion that it was probably going to be the last time he danced with Sherlock, and that alone was enough to make him properly look up. 

As he met his eyes, Sherlock’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise before crinkling up in a sweet smile. John mirrored his expression and he felt his cheeks flush.  _Stop._

“It’s going to be easy. Just look at me but pay attention to the music and watch your steps.” Sherlock said, breaking the silence. 

Did Sherlock always have that golden speck in his right eye?  Fascinating. John had never noticed it but it looked beautiful. Sherlock’s eyes were beautiful. He had never seen such things that up close. He could stare into those eyes forever, no doubt. 

“Ouch!” Sherlock’s voice brought John back into the room.

“What?” John cleared his throat.

“You stomped on my foot. Pay attention.” 

“It’s not easy to look at someone in the eyes and also be aware of the surroundings.” John defended himself.

“It would be if you were paying attention!” The taller answered back, rolling his eyes. 

“Fine. Let’s go again.” 

John tried not to focus on Sherlock’s hands too much, or his warm ’one, two, three’ whispers that kissed his skin, his perfectly curled curls on his forehead or how his chest was almost pressed against his own, seeing it rise and fall with every breath..he tried not to focus on his diamonds he so called eyes, his perfect bow lips and his cheekbones. He was glad, though, that Sherlock didn’t try to dip him. He was going to kiss his detective the previous day and he just couldn’t. Sherlock must have figured, or simply didn’t want to kiss John. That was fine, too. Yes. John didn’t know what it all meant nor why he was feeling what he was feeling but he was sure of one thing. He would have missed dancing with Sherlock Holmes more than anything. 

Sherlock on the other hand wasn’t feeling much better. He was good at hiding his emotions, had a lifetime to learn how to. But he knew that his tutoring was going to be over in just a couple of minutes and that made his stomach knot. He was happy after all that he’d gotten the chance to almost kiss John and he’d lie if he’d said he wouldn’t have replayed those seconds forever. He was also able to gaze into his blogger’s eyes. A blue so bright, the sky was nothing compared to it. He could see his reflection in John’s pupils from how close they were and Sherlock loved it. He loved the little black dots the irises had here and there, loved the yellow around them, loved how they became bluer or grayer as the light changed. Sherlock didn’t understand love one bit, but sure as heck he loved John’s eyes almost as much as he loved getting lost in them. 


End file.
